Jackson Free Press

Mississippi House Unlikely To Increase Taxes, Funds for Roads and Bridges

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Unable to attract enough support from lawmakers, House leaders are giving up on a plan to increase money for roads through a series of tax changes.

‘Tis ‘Best of Jackson,' ‘Think Global, Shop Local' Season

This week's issue kicks off the JFP's "Best of Jackson 2006" campaign season—and our fourth annual "Think Global, Shop Local" campaign, which we introduced to Jackson in our first year …

Is Mississippi a Swing State?

The JFP has been telling readers for weeks that the presidential race is much closer than people think in Mississippi. We reported Sept. 30 on the state-by-state poll by the …

Bloggers Speak Out

Mississippi keeps cropping up out there on the weblogs (called "blogs," we're talking about Web sites that update daily with news and politics coverage) and—almost universally—in a familiar context. I …

Changing Perceptions

It can be hard to understand why someone would move to Jackson looking only through the window of local media's barrage of crime and blight coverage.

State Not Good for Business?

Mississippi's competitive environment is the worst in the U.S. So says the "Eighth Annual State Competitiveness Report," from the independent, non-partisan Beacon Hill Institute, an economic research organization at Boston's …

Health-care Economy Could Be Answer for Jackson

When folks talk about tourism in Mississippi, most of the conversation centers on casinos, golf, the blues, civil-rights freedom trails or family reunions. But the emerging trend of medical tourism …

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Ain’t Nothing But the Birthplace of the Blues

The South is the birthplace of the blues, and Public Broadcasting Station's "Blues Road Trip" describes the Mississippi Delta as the genre's emotional heart.

South Korea Changing Maritime Rules After Sinking

The South Korean government is scrambling to fix what the prime minister calls the "deep-rooted evils" that contributed to last month's ferry sinking, which left more than 300 people dead …

40 Years Ago, Maroons Made History

"Ghosts of Mississippi" is an excellent article in the latest Sports Illustrated on the 1963 Mississippi State basketball team which, backed by a courageous college president, defied a court order …

Feds: Man Arrested in LA Airport Not Cooperating

A man arrested at Los Angeles International Airport wearing a bulletproof vest and flame-resistant pants is not cooperating with federal officials working to discover why he was headed to Boston …

[Rev] I Was Too Busy Driving

Where to start? Back in May I wrote a column about high gas prices when a barrel of oil was being traded at $40, a 14-year-old high. Last week, it …

Jackson Zoo Opens, Gets Ready for USDA Inspection

The Jackson Zoo has undergone about $300,000 worth of transformations as it seeks a permanent exhibitor's license from the United States Department of Agriculture, Director of Parks and Recreation Ison …

Museum Trail Complete from Downtown Jackson to Lakeview Drive

Residents and visitors to Jackson can now enjoy a 2.5-mile Museum trail, for walking, jogging and cycling after a ribbon-cutting ceremony Wednesday signaled the project's completion.

Group Links Parole Reforms To Economic Development

Expanding parole eligibility in Mississippi comes with economic benefits, Rounds Consulting Group Inc. said in a March 2021 report. Currently, those incarcerated in Mississippi cost the state $14,600 per year …

Dutschke in Court Today on Ricin Charges

A Mississippi man who describes himself as a patriot with no grudges against anyone was expected to appear in court Monday on charges of making and possessing ricin.

Chemical Weapons Inspectors Cross into Syria

An advance group of international inspectors arrived in Syria on Tuesday to begin the ambitious task of overseeing the destruction of President Bashar Assad's chemical weapons program.

Pure Instinct

There is something so visceral, so primal and yet so perfect about eating ribs.

Pentagon to Send Missiles, 400 Troops to Turkey

The U.S. will send two batteries of Patriot missiles and 400 troops to Turkey as part of a NATO force meant to protect Turkish territory from potential Syrian missile attack, …

10 Local Stories of the Week

There's never a slow news week in Jackson, Miss., and last week was no exception. Here are the local stories JFP reporters brought you in case you missed them.